


Together forever

by melissachan



Category: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni | Higurashi When They Cry
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Relationship Study, how do people who need content warnings even watch Higurashi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29894460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melissachan/pseuds/melissachan
Summary: Some things in this world never changed, even in hundreds of years.Or an alternate take on how the gun scene goes.This was written after episode 22 and probably won't make much sense after future episodes.
Relationships: Furude Rika & Houjou Satoko
Kudos: 13





	Together forever

“Satoko-chan…?” – Rena seemed confused… or more like she wasn’t believing her eyes, as Satoko pulled out the gun and pointed it at Rika’s face. Rika seemed to almost expect it, though. She stood still, staring into her best friend’s eyes,

“What’s the meaning of this?” – there was a barely noticeable hint of anger in Mion’s voice, but the only emotion on her face was fear.

“I this some sort of prank? A joke? C’mon, it stopped being funny…” – Keiichi tried to seem careless, scratching the back of his head, but his voice was shaky. A small smile grew on Satoko’s once emotionless face, and she seemed like she was about to shoot, but…

“Satoko… you don’t need to do that!” – Rika took a step forward, hands in the air.

“Huh…?” – the gun was still pointed at Rika’s face, but Satoko seemed to hesitate a bit, her expression growing more nervous with each second. Perhaps she just found some kind of twisted fun in it, but Rika still had to try.

“Satoko… I know how hard you worked at making this world… this Hinamizawa… a perfect place for us to live! You don’t need to throw it away!” – Rika took another step forward, hands spread out, a smile on her face. “You worked really, really hard to show me that Hinamizawa is a place still worth living in! To remind me how beautiful it is. That I shouldn’t be sad because of the tragedies, if there will be no more tragedies!” – she kept talking, and walking forward…

“Rika-chan, stop. This is dangerous! If someone needs to deal with this, it should be me!” – Mion yelled, but it didn’t seem to affect either Satoko or Rika.

“Don’t intervene! You’ll provoke her more! I don’t know what’s happening, but I trust Rika-chan to handle this…” – Keiichi’s voice was calm, and it seemed like his grip on Mion’s shoulder was the only thing stopping her from jumping in between of them.

“You taught me that I should be grateful for the good times. Because if I won’t be pursuing good times, and will be happy just with an ordinary, boring life without my friends, then bad times will return, right? That’s how things work in this world…” – Rika came close enough for the gun to touch her forehead. Satoko seemed to flinch. Confusion was written all over face, but there were some other emotions mixed in: both relief and disgust.

“Rika…”

“So, instead of pursuing my meaningless, shallow goals for myself, why don’t we all… just end it and continue living our happy days there, in Hinamizawa… You worked so, so hard at creating this world. I know exactly how hard it is. So don’t ruin this. There’s no animosity in my trap. I just wanted to know who my mysterious benefactor was… and I’m glad to know it’s you, my best friend,” – Rika kept staring into Satoko’s eyes, not noticing tears running down her cheeks.

“Rika…!”

The gun dropped onto the floor with loud sound.

“Rika!” – Satoko’s eyes were also teary as she rushed towards Rika, pulling her into a hug. “I am so, so sorry, Rika!” – her words were hard to make out between loud sobs. Her hands were clutching Rika’s shoulders, scratching them involuntary. “I missed you so much in all those lonely, miserable words, Rika! I couldn’t believe that you, the real you, would be happy doing this to me! I…” – she didn’t seem to be able to even properly make the words anymore, just continuing to cry loudly, as Rika kept petting her head gently.

“Don’t worry, Satoko…” – Rika’s eyes were now half-open, and her tears started to dry. “After all, we all do terrible things in pursuing our dreams. But it’s all over now, so don’t cry useless tears…” – she smiled, but it was not a very happy smile.

“From now on, we will be together forever…” – Satoko sobbed, still unable to hold down her tears, burying her head in Rika’s chest. “Right, Rika?” she asked, sounding almost desperate.

“Of course…”

Rika’s hand tightened on the shard. She knew she needed to aim carefully, because she only had one shot. She stared at Satoko’s face, coldly.

The memories of her best friend were flooding back into her head. The Satoko who was telling her goodnight and good morning every day. The Satoko that was holding her hand going to school. The Satoko that was terrible at cooking, but eager to learn, albeit slowly. The Satoko that would make pans fall on Keiichi’s head to make him wear embarrassing costumes. The Satoko that still probably didn’t know which one was green.

The Satoko that was waking up at night, having nightmares of her uncle coming back. She would try to hide the desperate need of comfort and support, so Rika had to pretend she was the one who just randomly decided to turn on the light and read aloud, just for herself.

The Satoko that she wanted to save from Teppei. Shion, Rena, Keiichi, and the whole damn village of Hinamizawa…

It was not the Satoko she was holding right now, even if they had the same face.

“Of course… not.”

Satoko didn’t even have time to open her teary eyes and give Rika a surprised look as Rika thrust the shard into her chest with on swift motion. The heart or the throat: she knew perfect spots for a fast kill. She had to learn, although before she never used that knowledge on anyone but herself.

Satoko’s eyes opened, still filled with tears. Somehow, she didn’t even seem very surprised.

“Huh… didn’t see that coming… Although I probably should have…” she said, her voice strangely devoid of anger or bitterness.

“Your trap-sensing skills really are not that good anymore, it seems…” – Rika’s tone was as cold as the metal in her hand. Nobody knew how much effort it took to keep it that way.

“Even one hundred years was not enough for me… to remember you are dirty liar, my traitorous Rika…”

Rika pulled out the shard, letting the blood pour onto her clothes. Her hands started shaking, making the shining piece of something that was once a weapon slip onto the ground.

Satoko’s hands stopped gripping Rika’s shoulder, and her body fell. The second it took for it to reach the ground felt almost like eternity – or that’s what Rika could have said if she didn’t know what real eternity felt like.

“Satoko-chan…?” – Rena was the first to come closer with slow and unsure steps.

“She’s bleeding!” someone yelled.

“What is happening?!”

“Someone, call the teacher!”

“There’s no time for that! Someone, call an ambulance!”

Rika smiled, not even trying to make any sense out of the incoming chaos.

“She’s not breathing!”

“Satoko-chan!”

Letting Mion pick up Satoko’s body, she reached towards the gun, still lying on the floor right where it was dropped.

“Rika…?”

“No! Please, don’t do that, Rika!”

Keiichi rushed forward, reaching his hand, but the screams of her friends fell on deaf ears as Rika pointed the gun at her temple, and closed her eyes tightly, ready to return to her best friend…

To Satoko, and not to that thing that was sent as a replacement by some god with a bad sense humor.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Izum for beta read.


End file.
